Thrift and pillage! Finding Eco-Friendly fashion in Bethlehem

The Attic. Main Street in Bethlehem, between Brewworks and the Hotel B.Photo from Attic website. 

I think every environmentalist has her own kryptonite. Mine is fashion.

How can I love something that has such a big impact on the planet?

According to Fred Pearce (he came to Moravian in 2009) author of Confessions of an Eco Sinner, the processes of making one cotton t-shirt uses 30 bathtubs of water! It can use a third of a pound of pesticides, too!

Then there’s all of the energy (energy = carbon dioxide emissions) that went into manufacturing that shirt. And that’s just one shirt!!

ECO-friendly fashion to the rescue! With it, I can still get my fix on shopping and style, without having as much of an impact. Phew!

The best way to explore ECO-friendly fashion? The old-school way... go thrifting!

Thrift, baby, thrift!

Why? By purchasing previously owned items, you’re not supporting the long line of wasteful manufacturing that goes into making a new item.

Vintage Owl. Attic.

Vintage Turtle Pin. Attic.

Enter the Attic. Moravian students, no matter which campus you call home, the Attic is less than a 15 minute walk away, 516 Main St, between Brewworks and Hotel B. Or shop the Attic online! That’s right! You can walk or click to your fashion fix. The Attic buys gently or practically unused items and sells them back to you for mad cheap!

If anyone knows this, it’s Gina, president of Moravian’s Environmental Coalition and expert thrift shopper. She was kind enough to pull out some of her swag for me.

Ralph Lauren boots (left) and Frye Boots (right)

• Frye Boots. Retail: upwards of $200. Attic price: $50!
• Ralph Lauren Boots. Retail: $90 or more. Attic price: $25

Gina’s known to walk into the Attic and walk out with entire outfits. With the prices and lack of eco-guilt, the Attic is just too much fun to shop at. Plus, when you spend you’re money locally, more of it stays in the community!

thrift store picks from Gina

Good for the environment, your wallet, and your community—that’s sustainability!

Jewelry is fun to score at thrift stores, too. I just picked up the pin below at the Attic for $9. No, I’m not an Aries, but after working at Glacier National Park, I love rams!

Pillage the family goods!

The ring was my grandmother’s. It’s actually a bent nail. Search the attic! You might find family stuff that's free of eco-guilt. Ask first though!

But sometimes, we just need a new pair of shoes, jeans, etc. what then?

1. Buy organic cotton. It saves pesticides and synthetic fertilizers (that would be used to grow your standard cotton) from entering the waste stream.

2. Buy Fair-Trade. This is a certification that the people bringing you your goods, are getting a fair return for their work. Think the opposite of Blood Diamond. When you’re doing what’s good for people, you’r e probably doing whats good for the environment.

3. Buy local and hand made. Save the CO2 emissions emitted in shipping and keep money in your community.

4. Support ecofriendly initiatives. I got these cute Nike lime green post-consumer rubber shoes (from a cute boy I like!) When you buy eco-friendly, you give producers incentive to produce more greenly!

lime green Nike sneakers with post consumer soles!

get started at these sites!

• Ecofriendlyfashion. This blog has everything to dress up your apartment, garden, and you!
• Etsy. Beloved by many, etsy is a platform for homegrown businesses that sell vintage and handmade goods. 

So what’s your eco-kryptonite?

Do you have any eco-friednly fashion tips or great scores? Post them here!